Susana Imaginário | Updates

Timelessness Fun Facts! (compilation)

Susana Imaginário — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

1) Wyrd Gods is dedicated to My Lord. This has puzzled readers over the years, and even prompted a few DNSs... The Lord is my husband. (also telepathy is a big thing in Timelessness )

2) In Timelessness, horse is a general term for a mount or a beast of burden. Unicorns, centaurs, and pterippus are real - but not horses. The reasons for this became irrelevant to the main plot during revisions. But the worldbuilding quirk remained.

3) The Dharkan are not part of any mythology. I needed a race that would clash with the gods, the mortals, and the androids. They were inspired by coffee (the name) and the Wraith in Stargate Atlantis.

4) In Aegea, most characters are naked or wear nothing under their cloaks. Only the Narrum frown upon nudity. Clothes are mostly used as an accessory (amongst the Anann, dresses are designed to emphasize body lines and they are worn by both men and women) or a temporary necessity (the Dharkan need protection from the sun). This is both an homage to Heroic Nudity and a personal preference of the author who is a naturist.

5) Timelessness Fun Fact Friday: Every ending in Timelessness can be read as a beginning because stories only end when there's no one left to tell them. And even then, who knows?

6) Yewlow stands for 'hollow yew', a pet name I give to ancient yew trees with hollowed trunks. In the original manuscript, the 'chrono -traveller' had to step inside the tree. I changed that after several people in my writing group compared it to the phone booth in the Bill and Ted movies... Today I regret making that change, but I was young then, and still had much to learn about taking advice from aspiring writers.

7) Only two characters have a surname: Dveer. DVEER is an anagram of VERDE, meaning "green" in Portuguese. It's also an anagram of DEVER, a word with a double meaning: duty and owe. This is but one example of the many layers of symbolism and different meanings within the narrative. You can read it at a surface level and you'll get a fairly unusual, entertaining story. Or you can reread it carefully, and something else entirely will reveal itself. Have fun!

8) Celtic mythology was part of the original manuscript, but then I realised I had enough mythologies woven into one book already. Still, artefacts of that subplot remain, and maybe one day I'll write a novella about it. Anann is short for Tuatha Dé Danann. Aossi refers to the Aos Sí, and Arianh is inspired by the goddess Arianrhod. (Arianh is also an anagram for Rainha in Portuguese.)

9) Predation is a key theme in the narrative, both metaphorically and literally.

10) The Gharb, as in the arid peninsula where the Aossi (and later the last of the Anann) lived, comes from Al-Gharb, the name given by the Moors to the southern region of modern-day Portugal – Algarve. Where I grew up. Extra fun fact: Gharb means "West", but in Aegea West is in the East. As Psyche once said: 'It’s as if the Universe turned upside down and I’m hanging on the wrong side of it.'

11) Ulla's character is named after my best friend's mother, who died of cancer when we were young. But my friend doesn't know this, because she has never read the books.

12) Bicameral mentality is a key aspect of characterization and why many characters act 'weird'. Lack of self awareness and introspection leads to lack of accountability and empathy.

13) There are three Trickster gods in Timelessness: Loki, Prometheus and Hermes. (Although I'd argue that Zeus, Odin and Anubis can be pretty tricksy as well)

14) In the Ileana/Psyche dynamic, I wanted to explore possession from a different angle. Most stories involving possession by alien entities or demons focus on the damage those "evil" entities do to the minds of their hosts. In Wyrd Gods, I wanted to play with the idea of what a damaged brain can do to a sane mind/soul. Extra fun fact (spoilers) Ileana's mind/personality is mostly my satirical response to the female-centric, girly-girl feminist protagonist that was becoming popular in fantasy back then, especially in mythological retellings, with Psyche being the grumpy, exasperated "voice of reason" trying to stay sane. At the time I thought maybe I went too far. Knowing what I do now, I realise I didn't go far enough...

15) The weird geological features in Aegea, like the Boiling Lake and the necropolis (caves) were inspired by real places on two of my favourite islands: Dominica and Sicily (east side). The inspiration for the Stump came from Devil's Tower.

16) The events of the entire series take place in just a few days. Well... for most characters, anyway... Time can be quite arbitrary. ;)

17) I often hide little snippets of lyrics in the text (or titles when it's an instrumental piece). This started happening quite unconsciously. But then I figured, why not make it a feature? After all, I take a lot of inspiration from music, and pretty much every scene and character is linked to one or more songs. I challenge readers to find those musical Easter eggs.

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GIVEAWAY ALERT: Win a FREE Book Delivered Anywhere in the World!

Susana Imaginário — Sat, 3 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone! I'm giving away a signed copy of the TIMELESSNESS SPECIAL EDITION OMNIBUS to a lucky reader/reviewer.
How to Enter:
1. Write an honest review of ANY book in the series. (or share an old one!)
2. Share it Twitter (X). Tag me so I can see it. That's 1 entry.
3. For EXTRA entries: Post your review on retailers (Amazon, Kobo, Audible, etc.) or Goodreads – 1 bonus entry per platform!

More reviews = more chances! Winner picked at random on Jan 31st. Open worldwide.

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What is Mythological Slipstream?

Susana Imaginário — Sat, 3 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mythological slipstream" combines slipstream fiction (weird, genre-bending stories that feel strange) with mythological themes, suggesting narratives where myths become real, familiar concepts become alien, or characters journey through mythic dimensions, like riding ancient currents in a sci-fi hyperspace. It describes stories that blend the uncanny, the fantastic, and deep archetypes, using mythological frameworks to explore modern anxieties and the "strangeness" of existence, making the familiar strange.

Essentially, "mythological slipstream" points to stories that use the strange, hybrid nature of slipstream writing to explore enduring mythological ideas in unconventional, often unsettling ways.

Key Characteristics

Disorientation: Creates a feeling of being in a distorting mirror or turbulent flow.
Ambiguity: Blurs reality and fantasy, leaving questions unanswered.
Deep Resonance: Aims for profound emotional and psychological impact, exploring deeper meanings beyond genre.

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Dramatis Personae (Timelessness Omnibus)

Susana Imaginário — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Gods and Goddesses

Chronos – God of Time. Set the universe in motion towards its end. Holds no influence in the Underworlds... yet.

Gaea – Goddess of Life. Desires influence over Chronos but has none.

Kali – Goddess of Death and the End of Time. Few have met her. Fewer still have survived the meeting.

Psyche, aka Butterfly – Goddess of the Soul, wife of Eros, the God of Love. An apotheosized human struggling to embrace her divinity. She has a temper. And far too many secrets.

Loki – The angry God of Mischief, Trickster, Lord of Chaos, and Misunderstood Pain. Seeks justice for a crime he did not commit, but failing that, vengeance will do just fine.

Hades – Olympian God of the Underworld, brother of Zeus. A dark lord with a flaming soul and a penchant for kidnapping beautiful goddesses.

Hel – Goddess of the Dead, rightful ruler of Niflheim. Loki’s daughter. Not as cold as she seems, but ruthless nonetheless.

Chiron – Conflicted Titan, half-brother of Zeus, and tutor of heroes. Often called the “God of Horses.” Seeks to change his Fate — or does he?

Fenrir – Loki’s son, a giant wolf and trickster. Enjoys large meals and playing shepherd to lost sheep. A good boy… most of the time.

Seshat – Scion of Ra, daughter of Thoth, and underrated Goddess of Writing. A diligent chronicler who can turn stories into history and embody any character at will.

Odin, aka The Allfather – Former King of Asgard, frenemy of Zeus. Sacrificed an eye for wisdom and foresight. A willing Wyrd.

Zeus – God of the Sky, King of Olympus. A powerful prick.

Eos – Titan Goddess of Dawn, guardian of the Blue Sun. Not particularly bright.

Mnemosyne – Titan Goddess of Memory. No one remembers her clearly.

Artemis – Goddess of the Hunt, daughter of Zeus, twin to the Sun God, Apollo. Mad as a Titan.

Apollo – Olympian God of the Sun, Light, Music, Prophecy, Healing, and Archery. Twin brother of Artemis, son of Zeus, father of suns.

Medusa – Former priestess of Athena, cursed by the goddess after being raped by Poseidon. Hades’ playmate and manager of the Underworld.

Hephaestus – God of Fire and Craftsmanship, son of Hera and Zeus. Rejected by his mother at birth for his ugliness. His fortunes haven’t improved since.

Jorma, aka Jörmungandr – The World Serpent, brother of Fenrir and Hel. So large, no one can see him.

Hecate – Olympian Goddess of Magic and other uncanny things.

Hermes – Herald and Messenger of the Olympians. Weird by nature, Wyrd by choice.

Anubis – Scion of Ra, God of the Dead, and canny Psychopomp. An underdog and liminal god, often found in bad company.

Aphrodite – Olympian Goddess of Love and Beauty, mother of Eros, reluctant wife of Hephaestus.

Morpheus – The God of Dreams.

Baldur – God of Light, Odin’s favourite son. Killed under wicked circumstances.

Thor – God of Thunder, another son of Odin.

Freya – Goddess of Love, Beauty, Death, Gold, Magic, Fertility, Cats, Meadows, and titles. Odin’s wife.

Athena – Goddess of War, Reason, and Weaving, among other things. Born fully grown and armored from Zeus’ head.

Pan – Capricious God of the Wilderness.

Persephone – Olympian Goddess of Spring, spoiled daughter of Zeus, Hades’ wife.

Prometheus – Titan and Trickster, God of Foresight. Father of humanity and ingenuity, punished by Zeus for his troubles.

Poseidon – Olympian God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses. Another brother of Zeus.

Mortals, Immortals, and Non-Living Entities

Ileana – The Suzerain’s daughter. Once an Anann. Psyche’s host.

Ideth, aka Unbridled One – Chiron’s best friend. More than just a pretty short nymph.

Aedan – Reclusive Dharkan working with Odin to overthrow the Suzerain. Loki’s favourite host. A talented blank slate.

Oric – The Suzerain’s right hand. Hard to kill.

Iosh, aka Judoc – Ileana’s childhood sweetheart. Relicum’s living Shrine in the Suzerain’s name. Lost to lust.

Jonas – Disinclined shrine, disillusioned pacifist, and disgruntled Metz. A man with a dream but no choice.

Agnar – One of the Anann, once the Suzerain’s best friend and Aegea’s most educated man. Odin’s host.

Fabrian – Narrum misfit, Iosh’s best friend and conscience. Loves Life and Love.

Arianh – Queen of the Aossi and Odin’s protégé. Torn between duty and self-esteem. Father unknown.

Ulla – Aossi with many chips on her shoulders.

Occa – The queen’s younger sister, full of ambition but little else.

Alek Dveer, aka The Suzerain – Former leader of the Anann, now a Nephilim and ruler of Aegea. Hates gods, has grand plans. Can't live and doesn't die.

Isko – Who?

Mika – Psyche's unofficial guardian.

Aecius – Dharkan with a bright past.

Agua – Water nymph linked to the Dharkan.

Iva – Dharkan princess, leader of the Faithless.

Emil – Aedan’s younger brother, hosting an ill-fitting god.

Asher – Faithless believer.

Quetish – Seshat’s lustful Sphinx.

Yewlow – Niflheim’s Chronodéndon, a sapient tree capable of transporting beings across time and realms.

Cerberus – Hades’ faithful hound.

Kharon – Ferryman of Hades, a charming fellow according to Hel.

Namrive – Nephilim overseeing the Suzerain’s Aegea.

Xylo – Nephilim construct created by the Suzerain as part of a deal.

Ulcan – Misanthropic snake hunter. Not quite Narrum. Far from anything else.

Martha – Narrum forest dweller and witch.

Bertho – Artemis’ pet.

Orion – Artemis’ former pet.

Oreth – Ideth and Orion’s son. Raised by the Suzerain. Need I say more?

Medusa – Cursed priestess with striking hair. Enjoys playing hide and seek.

Cornus – One of the few Elysian horses left in the universe.

Wyrae – Chronodéndron formerly linked to Ideth. Felled to build a cabin.

Peoples, Places, and Pantheons

Olympians – Gods of Olympus.

Titans – Ancient deities, former rulers of Olympus, overthrown by their descendants, the Olympians. Most were banished to Tartarus by Zeus.

Aesir – Major rivals of the Olympians, rulers of the Nine Worlds.

Dharkan – Lifeless beings able to cross realms between life and death. Created by Hel to host gods’ souls and inspire fear in mortals.

Anann, aka The Chosen Ones – Dryads loyal to the Suzerain.

Aossi – Dryads of the wild Gharb, free from the Suzerain’s rule.

Metz – Half-breeds.

Narrum – Humans altered by time and greed.

Aegea – Habitable landmass in Niflheim, created after the Merge to accommodate the living.

Gharb – Rocky, inhospitable peninsula beyond Aegea, refuge of the Aossi after the Fell.

Niflheim – World of ice and mist, one of the nine worlds linked by Yggdrasil.

Tartarus – The deepest, darkest realm of Hades’ Underworld.

Helheim – The city of the dead in Hel’s Underworld.

Portum – Small settlement on the threshold between civilization and wilderness.

Nephilim – Technologically advanced beings with alien agendas.

Jötunn – Descendants of primordial gods, at odds with the Aesir.

Relicum, aka Algiz – Aegea’s major settlement.

Faithless – Rebel Dharkan who no longer follow Hel.

Faithful – Constructs under the Suzerain’s command.

Tree Huggers – Outcasts and free spirits hiding in the forest.

Nymph’s Boson, aka The Caves – Liminal library and necropolis.

Boiling Lake – Far more than just a hot spring.

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